Published on : Thursday, December 1, 2016
LivingKitchen has not only established itself as a central meeting point for the international kitchen industry – it has now also become an indispensable fixed appointment in the design industry’s trade fair calendar. Renowned manufacturers contribute as much to this event as do less well-known labels and progressive boutique manufacturers, all showcasing their products covering the kitchen, electrical appliances and accessories. An inspiring selection of current trends can be found, from the worktop to the oven thermometer.
LivingKitchen showcases design highlights:
• International brands showcase design and innovation at LivingKitchen
• Progressive boutique manufacturers present their products covering the kitchen, electrical appliances and accessories
• The marketplace for current trends in colours and materials in the kitchen
Appliance manufacturers’ and materials developers’ innovations have driven kitchen design in fields far beyond kitchen furniture alone. They have a strong influence on both the surfaces and on what is on the inside of the modern kitchens that will be presented in Cologne, Germany, once again co-located with the international interiors show, imm cologne. The interplay at LivingKitchen between the displays of kitchen manufacturers and cooking events, appliance technology and examples of interiors is probably unique. And the 2017 event will show that the motto for the kitchen is once again that anything goes: so alongside the elegant built-in kitchen in wood, composite, glass or metal, also individual kitchen components, innovative stoves and solutions for cooking outdoors are on trend.
A 360-degree view of the kitchen industry: broad portfolio of exhibitors LivingKitchen is not just a platform where integrated kitchen solutions and contemporary designs are presented, but also a place for the exceptional – such as the T1 stove from the Austrian boutique manufacturer Lohberger, which up until now has been best known in professional gastronomy. South Tyrolean, Michelin-starred chef Roland Trettl’s vision of the perfect cooking area was translated into a timeless design by Robert Blaschke for Lohberger. “This stove combines what is currently the best of two different worlds: design and technology for professionals. For kitchens in particular, this combination has not existed like this before, that is to say the combination of complete, pristine naturalness with high tech”, says Manfred Huber, CEO of Lohberger. “And then, of course, there’s the material: it shimmers differently in every light, and no two T1s are the same. Each piece is one of a kind.” Huber added further.
Another first-time exhibitor at the world’s largest kitchen event is a real heavyweight: with the participation of Leicht Kitchens, LivingKitchen 2017 has been able to attract another premium manufacturer in the German kitchen industry as an exhibitor, proof not only of the great importance that the industry’s largest international kitchen event has grown to acquire, but also of how strong design from the whole of Europe has become. In future, Leicht will offer selected colours from the Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier colour range for kitchen planning in the premium segment – and is devoting its entire presentation at LivingKitchen 2017 to this subject.
Open-plan kitchens for homely atmospheres
All of the industry’s key players gather in Cologne every two years and each time they meet, the aesthetic appeal and innovative power of their products have increased. And internationally known brands such as Leicht, allmilmö and Valcucine also serve as magnets for other design-focused target groups from outside the kitchen industry. LivingKitchen, with its innovative design highlights, is a source of inspiration in particular for architects and interior designers from all over the world because, with the trend towards open floor plans, kitchens nowadays can be integrated into all styles of home interior. Homely elements such as open shelving units that open out into the living room in warm wood materials are available from Warendorf, among others, and kitchens from zeyko capture the imagination with their astonishing construction. As if carried by some ghostly hand, entire cabinet units float weightlessly in the room with the Flybrige static system from zeyko, creating a truly borderless transition from kitchen to living room.
Platform for the latest trends in colours and materials
And the trend in individual looks can also be seen in surfaces, as is demonstrated by Warendorf’s unorthodox rust look. Color on Demand has developed to being more than just a vision of the future at Schüller, where a broad selection of surfaces and colours already now meet customer wishes in the most comprehensive possible way, so that Schüller can follow the current trend in the neutral colour grey with a particularly wide range of nuances and can position it as an alternative to white. Miele even offers slate as a surface, a material that additionally offers the practical feature that it can be used for chalk-written shopping lists and children’s art – for the needs and art of the moment. Industry professionals such as Nolte do not only focus on the multidimensionality of their products, which can be accessed from all sides, but also on unorthodox surface effects that currently appear to be dominated by metal and metal-look finishes. And brands such as Nobilia and Alno are also driving the trend towards individualised, homely kitchens with innovative designs and surfaces in bronze or graffiti print.
Design-oriented kitchens from Italy
Italian design certainly no longer has a monopoly on good design, because nowadays kitchen furniture that not only offers functionality but also enriches the character of a home is made everywhere in the world, not least because the trend in open-plan kitchens is making entirely new approaches necessary. Nonetheless, the participation of more than 30 Italian exhibitors clearly demonstrates this nation’s traditional strength in combining three passions: the love of cooking, eating and beautiful things.
Italian company Valcucine has won many awards for its innovative kitchen designs. This Northern Italian company is known for its ergonomic solutions and for the timeless quality of its designs. But of course there are also a lot of other exhibitors at LivingKitchen showing their mastery of form and function: around 200 international companies, including numerous manufacturer brands, will be showcasing their portfolios of new products and ideas across more than 42,000 square metres of exhibition area.
Tags: central meeting point, colours and materials, current trends, design industry's trade fair calendar, electrical appliances and accessories, imm cologne, indispensable fixed appointment, inspiration and innovation, international brands, international kitchen industry, kitchen, LivingKitchen, Progressive boutique manufacturers
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